Until Then
by Learies Sigh
Summary: She heard him loud and clear, he loves her as a friend but not as a lover, she runaway with a broken heart. Now 7 years passed and she returns. Their paths crossed once more but this time he asked her to marry him, so she can save her family from shame.
1. prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Slam Dunk. _I don't want to be your friend_ is also not mine.

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**Prologue**

The D.J. from the radio announces something but I can't clearly hear it because the beating of my heart is louder than the sound coming from his player. Thud…thud…thud it goes when I heard the next song played.

_I don't wanna see your face_

_I don't wanna hear your name_

_**sigh**_

_I don't wanna thing_

_Just stay away baby_

It is over... lonely nights...empty dreams...weary life...

"Do you love me?"

_Or what you're doin' with your life_

_Don't wanna know if you're alright_

**_silence_** only the soft moan of the ocean and the cries of the birds answered me back.

_Don't wanna hear that you'll stay in touch maybe_

I weakly smiled at him. "That told everything that I need to know...what more should I say? It is definitely over...no more...nothing"

_I'll get by just fine_

_So if you're goin' then darlin' goodbye, goodbye_

_**silence**_

_Don't call me in the middle of the night no more_

_Don't expect me to be there_

"Is that all you wanted to do?! STARE AT ME FOR ETERNITY?! I NEED ANSWERS, DAMN YOU! I WANT IT NOW!" Slowly, hot liquid spilled from my eyes...they sting and burned my skin...but. I rose my chin up...I will not be the first to be beaten...this is the war that I' am looking forward to win! I know I'm acting childish but who cares! I want to say it in his face, how I feel for him, this is my last chance.

_Don't think that it will be the way it was before_

He looked at me...his face...it held a blank...emotion... but then again...when my tears fell...I saw something in his eyes...but like a passing wind it died the second I tried to decipher what it is. "Yes. I love you...because you are my friend and you will always be.

_I'm not over you yet_

_And I don't think I care_

A short sentence...but it is like reading a book with similar words in it...repeating...every single lines...It hurts...I might accept a whole earful of curses, and the most unbearable little NO...but he uses that annoying cliché I had read a hundred thousand times!

_And I don't want to be your friend_

"Yes..."I laugh through misty eyes." Yes...how can I be so stupid...I am your friend and will always be...just a friend..."I started to sob and to my horror the sob turns to a rain of tears. I am beaten...all of my cards are now laid...I have nothing more...

_I'll forget we ever met_

_I'll forget I ever let_

A loser; I've gotten my hopes to high now I had to face the consequences, the pain. He slowly approaches me, I planned to move my feet back, out of his touch but I couldn't. As if my feet were rooted on the sand.

_Ever let you into this heart of mine baby_

_You just gotta let me be_

_No! Don't come near me! It will only add on my sufferings. _ I heard my mind speak but I couldn't make my lips to do so.

_You gotta keep away from me_

_'Cause all I want to be is just free of you baby_

He held me in his arms...I heard him hushing me up...then I broke...all my defenses crumble like a castle of sand blown by a strong blowing wind from the mighty sea. God! How I love him! He was my everything!...I was an idiot! I shouldn't have fallen in love with him! Stupid...stupid heart!!!

_Don't you come around_

_And say you still care about me_

I tilted my head up and stare at his warm gaze...his eyes of the darkest blue...it wanted to say something...but what? Slowly I raised my face to him...this will be my last chance...my means on saying goodbye...before he knew what I am about to do...I pressed my lips to his...I felt the world stood very still as if the time never tick another second.

_Go now, go now_

When I let go...he was stunned...I took my chances and run towards nowhere...I need to get out of this place...out of his life...until...forever?

_Don't call me in the middle of the night no more_

_Don't expect me to be there_

_Don't think that it will be the way it was before_

_I'm not over you yet_

_And I don't want to be your friend_

I climb the cliff side and I could still see him...standing there...not moving. I don't expect him to find me...after all why should he do such nonsense. Then...he slowly walks...away...away from me...

_You take it casually, and that's what's killing me_

_I'll get by just fine_

_So if you're goin' then darlin' goodbye, goodbye_

I felt like a coward...NO...I am not...I love him...I walk away knowing I will always love him...and that is all that matters...

_Don't call me in the middle of the night no more_

_Don't expect me to be there_

_Don't think that it will be the way it was before_

_No, no baby_

If we meet again...Surely we are going to meet...I will hold on...I will let time heals all the wounds...let it flew like a bird out of the cage...I am very certain that I will get over him...

_Don't call me in the middle of the night no more_

_I don't want to be your friend_

_See you next time, Akira. Maybe when we meet again, I could say "hey! It's nice seeing you old friend."_ And then, I could move on.

_Don't think that it will be the way it was before_

_I don't want to be your friend..._

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A/N: Oh! I suck at grammars. Where's Sir Menoy when you need him! Oh too bad. Maybe I was asleep or absent that I can't put good words together. Ohh…no!

Hope you like it! All reviews are open. Pls. bear with me; this is my very first fan fiction. Pls. RxR! Watch out for the next chapies! Until next time! Ciao!


	2. Home Coming

A/N: HIYAH!!! People! Here I' am again to make your head aches. (-!) Well I will start on the reviews. Frozenfemale, thanks for that enlightenment, it really helps. To Julie tearjerky, honey, sorry for confusing you, the italics are song lyrics though the thoughts of my character are the same, once again, sorry. Ok so where did I left out? Yeah! The running away thingy! So here it is! Sorry for the wrong grammars, I will really try my best to improve it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Slam Dunk. That's for Takehiko Inoue-sama. But the Takahashi Family is mine.

**Chapter 1: Home Coming**

I smiled dryly as the airplane touched the ground.

_Japan. I never thought I will ever come back here, especially to Kanagawa._ Yes. It has been too long, I really yearn on coming back but I don't have the guts to do so. Not until now.

I walked through the hallway where the other passengers are busy with their luggage. I picked mine, it is not that many, only two mallets and a small shoulder bag which I carry.

I searched through the crowd to find a familiar face, there she is!

"Nikiya!" I heard my cousin Shizuka called me. She passed through the crowd and gave me a big hug. "Oh! It's good to see you!"

I smiled. I returned the same warm hug that she gave me. "It is also nice to see you." I softly pulled from her and stared wide eyed. I can't believe that the 10 year old girl that I left is now a very pretty lady! "Look at you! You've grown too fast and so beautiful! I wonder how many boys in Kanagawa are following you like a bee."

She giggled and blushed. "Nikiya!

I laughed. _Still the same naïve little girl, _I thought. "Come now, I can't wait to see grand pa."

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How long was it since I last see Kanagawa? 7 years? Yes, 7 years. It may have changes but it does all look the same.

_It's good to be home._

I open the car's window and let the cool air touch my face like a long lost lover. As I lean through the window, I saw my old high school. Ryonan High School. I can feel nostalgia crept into my veins. Memories of my teen years are slowly refreshing on my mind.

I smiled as I run my gaze through some establishments, some are old and some are new but most of my favorite shops are still there like, Mrs. Norima's boutique, the flower shop of my friend Kyoko and the ice cream parlor of Ichi where I use to have snack with Akira.

The name struck me like thunder. _Akira Sendoh. Wonder what's happened to him? _After I left 7 years ago, I never got any news about him though I know that his father died 3 years ago and that's all. My family would rather talk about themselves than any body else, but there are still little information about him that I could get from them.

_Maybe I could ask Shizuka_. "Uhmn, Shizuka…do you know what happened to Akira?"

My cousin lifted her gaze from the book which I gave her. _Always the book worm_, I smiled through my mind.

"Sendoh-kun? Ah! Yes! Spiky! He comes around often to check on Grand pa, he also managed their fishing company now, and it is doing really good! Number 1 I could say. Imagine that spiky-haired-basketball-lovin' guy is also a natural in business! Did you know that aside from their fishing company they also have their own hotels here in Tokyo and other parts of the country, first class? They also manage fast food chains which, for my opinion, are booming like crazy!"

"Whoa! Slow down motor mouth!" (Sweat dropped) "So, he's a business tycoon now huh?" _Wonder what happened to that basketball freak?_

"Yup! And that fiancée of him will surely be the luckiest woman in the whole wide world, right? Having a gorgeous and filthy rich husband is really envious. "

Silence. Only the ranting of Shizuka's voice and sound of the engine can be heard.

_Fiancée? He's getting married?_ I felt a sharp pain sliced through my heart and it surprised me! I'm sure that I had gotten over him, so why am I feeling this way? It's been seven years-no, six and a half years (I've spent a good half year crying my heart out) since I felt this pain.

"Nikiya? Are you alright? You look pale." I felt Shizuka's hand on mine.

I turned and met her brown worried eyes and smiled. "I'm OK. Maybe it's just jet lag." I lied.

"Are you sure?" She asked a bit relieved now.

"I'm 101 sure! So have you met this-ahmn- fiancée of his?" I crossed my fingers under my hand bag. I don't think I'm ready.

"Well, we still haven't seen her because I heard that she will arrive this week. I don't know what day though. Hey! Wait a minute! Aren't you Sendoh-kun's best friend?" I saw her eyebrows knotted. Confusion is written all over her lovely face.

I was taken aback. "Well, you see—ahh—we haven't written to each other ever since I moved to Paris to study. Yes, that's it! He was busy and I'm also been very busy at that time so I can't afford to send him any." Another lie.

Shizuka doesn't seem convinced but she just shrugged her shoulder and eventually changes the topic.

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"Grand pa!" I shouted gaily to the old man whose waiting at the front door. Hatori Takahashi stood there like a mighty king with his dark blue kimono. I noticed that his once black and silver hairs are now white. His body grew thinner and frail but still bears its arrogant demeanor.

I run towards him and embraced him. I couldn't contain my tears and it rolled down my cheeks. "I missed you a lot." I buried my face to his shirt and inhaled his scent, tobacco and peppermint. I smiled. Same old Grand Pa.

I heard him chuckled and felt his body rock a little. "Oh! My little Nikie! It's good to have you here again after such a long time."

I feel guilty. Because of my stupid pride I neglected my duty to my family. It took me 7 years to finally swallow my foolish pride. "I'm sorry Grand pa if I hadn't visited you once. I was—"

He cut me out before I could make another word. "I know my dear. It doesn't matter now, all I need is you are here and that's all that matters. Everything's fine then, we should be inside now or the food will get cold. I'm starving. You two are an hour late." He looked at Shizuka whose eyes are still buried on the book. "Ha! I just knew it! Shizuka must have dragged you to the bookstore."

Shizuka, who's apparently heard every single word our grandfather had said, raised her eyes away from the book. "I did not! Its traffic Poppie, and this book is a gift from Nikiya."

I shook my head and giggled at the site of those two. Nothing's change. Grand Pa still loves to tease poor little Shizuka. I wrapped my right arm around Shizuka's shoulder and the other to my grandfather's right arm. I ushered them inside the house. "Quit ranting you two! My stomach are about to meet with my back. And I would like a hot bath after."

My grandfather turned to me in disbelief. "Don't tell me you hadn't eaten when you're still on the plane."

I wrinkled my nose and looked at him. "Well, my dear old, dashing grandfather, let me refresh your memory in case that you forgotten, I hate airline foods. The last meal that I've eaten was on the stop over and that was 5 hours ago."

"But you could just take a—. " Before my grandfather could finished his sentence, two small figure came bobbing out of no where. It was the twins Chidori and Shinta!

"WOW! It's really true that you are coming today, Nikiya!" Chidori squealed.

"Did you have something for us?" Now it was Shinta.

I stooped and smiled at the two. "It was on my luggage. I will give it to both of you after the dinner."

The two clapped their hands and cheered in excitement. "Yes!"

"Hey! You two! Both of you are not finished with—." I heard someone called my cousins. I lifted my gaze to know who it was. _It can't be!_

It was him! Standing there at the hall way, it was...

"Welcome back, Nikiya."

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A/N: Yawn! Another chapter ended. I keep on thinking on how will I write the next chapters now that holiday break is over.

Just a little info about the name NIKIYA. I actually borrowed it from a certain ballet that I watched last…I can't remember if it's on September or October (oh well! It doesn't matter any way ) entitled "La Bayadere". I fell in love with that tragic yet very romantic ballet and the lead character's name keeps on ringing in my mind.

Well, hope you like it and please bear with me until next chapters.

See you on Chapter 2! Ciao!


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